This morning we arrived at Mont St Benet having no idea what to expect for the day, we just knew it would be an adventure! The first thing we ended up having scheduled was a cooking workshop where we learned all about the ‘Alicia’ foundation there, that brings scientists, chefs, and dietitians together to come up with the best possible meals to help everyone love the most healthy and balanced life possible! They mainly specialize health problems that may affect ones diet, such as allergies and a huge problem in the health field: dysphasia. We learned that a lot of patients who have dysphasia as a symptom of a greater health problem, such as a stroke, develops malnutrition because the liquid food given to them in hospitals is not appetizing or as nutritional as it should be, and therefore the patients just won’t eat enough of it. The foundation specializes in making food for dysphasia patients that is not only nutritionally balanced and tasty, but also stimulates the natural colors and shapes of the food that was puréed in order to make it more pleasing to the patient so they actually consume all of the nutrients they need! After learning all of this we got to compete in a little cooking challenge and make a nutritionally balanced meal for our specific patient and then purée it! The challenge was that there are different stages of viscosity for different patient’s levels of dysphasia, so we would purée the food and then realize it was too thin and have to add a thickening powder to it until it was just right! This was a super fun challenge and really allowed to see exactly how difficult it can be to get the recipes exactly right because it is so important for the health of the patient! After the cooking class we had a lunch at the facility and then toured the monastery for monks that was on the property! It was a building mostly from the 12th century and we got to go inside and watch a video projected on the walls while music and holograms played that simulated what would go on inside the monastery back in those days! It was a very peaceful and tranquil environment. The building was eventually bought in the early 1900’s after it had been long out of service, by a family to use as a vacation home. They turned the second floor into their living quarters, which we also got to tour! The son was an amazing artist so his work is all of the walls, as well as other beautiful pieces, as the family collected art! Today was also our first day this week without clinical, as we wrapped up the week with that on Thursday! I’ve loved my clinical experience so far, even though it comes with the challenges of the language barrier and occasionally having to go up and completely figure out what I’m doing for the day on my own, as the nurses shifts on my floor change every few days, I have already learned so much and think this will be a very valuable experience for my future!!
